G oncrete 








Goncrete 
arks 
laygrounds 









Published by 
PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 





The Public Park Today 


EARLY every community, regardless of size, has set aside a plot of ground 

for park purposes. The plot may be but a small area surrounding the 
court house or city hall—or it may be an extensive tract covering hundreds of acres. 
Whatever its size, it remains a place set apart from the humdrum of everyday life 
where men, women and children may enjoy the beauties of nature in an atmosphere 
of peace and quiet. The park is an ideal place for a stroll along its tree-lined path- 
ways or a drive over winding roadways stretching away into rustic settings. It pro- 
vides a place for outdoor recreation—golf, tennis, swimming and many other athletic 
pursuits which have become a part of American life. 


It is the purpose of this booklet to illustrate the many uses of concrete in public 
parks and recreational centers. Concrete structures, effectively designed, harmonize 
readily with the artistic treatment of park areas and being highly durable, aid in no 
uncertain measure the preservation of beauty in such improvements. 






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An attractive entrance to the park is desirable. 
It may be only a column, erected on either side 
of the sidewalk or roadway or an imposing 
structure of cast stone such as the above en- 
trance to Franklin Park, Boston. 


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Light-colored concrete fountains harmonize 

with the surrounding green landscaping of 

parks. Being plastic in its initial state, con- 
crete can be moulded into any shape. 





A pool surrounded by concrete which 
resembles natural rock to the most 
minute detail. 


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Parkways and park drives are being 
utilized more extensively to lessen 
congestion and speed up traffic. The 
photographs above and to the right 
show the new grade separation in Lin- 
coln Park, Chicago. The bridge is of 
reinforced concrete, faced with stone. 
Traffic on Sheridan Drive continues 
uninterrupted over the bridge while 
traffic turning to the left follows the 
circle to the right and passes under 
the bridge without blocking traffic on 
the Drive. 


Concrete drives in Elizabeth Park, 





near Detroit. 


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An attractive sign 


post in New Ro- 
chelle, N. Y. 



















Left — Concrete lighting standards attractively 
placed on low concrete walls skirting the drives in 
Hialeah, Fla. 


Above—An example of the possibili- 

ties of moulding concrete in artistic 

designs for urns, flower pots and other 
park ornaments. 


Left—A concrete arch bridge of ar- 
tistic design in City Park, New Or- 
leans. 


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A wide concrete drive separated by an esplanade in Forest Park, St. Louis. 


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An attractive arrangement of concrete benches and flower pots in one of the public parks, Dallas, Tex. 












A resting place in the hollow of a 
concrete tree, Alamo Plaza, San 
Antonio. In Circle—Close-up of a 
“wooden” rail fashioned in con- 
crete. Note the knot holes, weather 
checks and shattered bark. 





Above—Concrete park benches are 

permanent and attractive.. They are 

not easily carried away and the only 

maintenance required -is replacement 

of the wooden seat strips in case of 
damage. 


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Above—Concrete benches, balustrades 
and adornments add much to the for- 
mality of park gardens. 


Below—Concrete statuary is especially 
adaptable to public parks. 





An attractive vine-covered coricrete shelter house, River- 
side Park, Indianapolis, Ind. 


Franklin Park, Boston, finished with portland cement stucco. 


Concrete enclosure around Rose Garden, 








Below—Concrete bandstand surrounded 
by concrete benches in Boston Commons. 


Above—A standpipe can be an ornamental as well as a 
utility structure, fit for a public park. 


Right—A pedestal bird bath of concrete—an attractive 
addition to the public park. 


Concrete steps, lighting standards and adornments in Forest Park, St. Louis. 









The rocks of this cascade in Glenwood Park, Minneapolis, are 
of concrete and resemble natural rock in every detail. 





An attractive concrete sun-dial 
is always a point of interest in 
park or garden. 





Concrete plays an important part 
in modern tree surgery. It seals 
the cavity left by the removal of 
the decayed portion. The bark then 
gtadually grows over the 
concrete filling and the 


wound is healed, 


A concrete monument dedicated to 
world war veterans has an appro- 
priate place in the public park. 





Natural surroundings reproduced in concrete—the bear dens in Forest Park, 
St. Louis. 


Note the strata and cracks built into the concrete to make it re- 
semble natural formations. 


L ef t—Concrete seats 

and bleachers provide 

a permanent improve- 

ment for the athletic 
field. 








Below — Concrete 
tennis courts in 
the shadow of the 
Washington Monu- 
ment at the Na- 
tion’s capital. Con- 
crete courts are per- 
manent and main- 
tenance-free. 





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Right A dry stream 
bed in a public park is 
unattractive. Often a 
small concrete dam as 
shown in this picture 
would withhold a suffi- 
cient amount of water in 
the stream for boating, 
swimming, etc. 








An attractive concrete bath-house in Forest River Park, Salem, Mass. 


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The utility of 
concrete extends 
to the golf 
course in the 
form of sand 
boxes and 
benches at tees. 





Park Structures Built 


ONCRETE is a universal material for con- 

struction. Architects in all parts of the coun- 
try have adopted it as the basic material for the de- 
velopment of a typical American type of architec. 
ture. The size of the structure or its architectural 
design make little difference in the adaptability of 
concrete for carrying out the improvement. In its 
initial state, concrete is plastic and can be moulded 








The Athenian Parthenon reproduced in exact detail and 
color with concrete serves Nashville as a museum. 


A concrete bench be- 
neath a concrete 
“umbrella tree.” 





Concrete is chosen as the medium of expression by 
ton Park, Chicago, executed by Lorado Taft in 





‘Athenian architecture reproduced in concret: 
Marysville, Calif., children enjoy many happy hours in this 
delightful concrete wading pool. 


f Permanent M. aterial 


or shaped in any desired figure. All the beauty of 

design imparted to the structure at the time of con- 

struction becomes an integral part of it, never to be 

lessened by the passing of time. Concrete is an 

economical material and is, therefore, especially at- 

tractive to the small community which is forced to 
| demand permanence and low cost of upkeep, after 
the initial expense. 





the sculptor. The Fountain of Time in Washing- 
dicates the versatility of concrete in modern art. 


> at Soldier Field, Grant Park, Chicago. 





Concrete swimming pool in Tibbetts Brook Park near 
Yonkers, N. Y. 


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Concrete table 

and benches 
for picnic 
use. 







This concrete wading pool in a public park at Kansas City, 


Mo., is in harmony with natural surroundings. 


Above—Grandstand at State Fair 
Grounds, Birmingham, Ala., built of 
reinforced concrete and concrete units, 
surfaced with portland cement stucco. 


Left—A concrete drive in Ault Park, 
Cincinnati. 


Below—A concrete bridge of attrac- 
tive design, Oconomowoc, Wis. Ideal 
for spanning the park stream. 


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Right—A cool relief 
from the summer heat 
is this wading pool 
amid rustic setting in 
Pontiac, Il. 


Below—The Elephant House, Frank- 
lin Park, Boston—a permanent home 
of concrete for “Jumbo.” 


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Left—Bird cage in 
public park, Houston, 
Tex. The rocks and 
trees shown in the pic- 
ture are of concrete 
fashioned in exact 
semblance, both in 
color and in texture, 
to the natural habitat 
of the birds. 










Left—The concrete swim- 

ming pool, Fair Grounds, 

Aurora, IIl., provides recrea- 
tion all summer long. 


EEL RTS 


Below—The concrete pool 
aids materially in beautify- 
ing the sunken garden. 


Ro NENTS 


Below — Concrete BA 
bandstand at Salem, © 
Mass. 


Right—Ice-skating on frozen surface of Aurora 
pool, shown at top of page. 


Below—Concrete is ideal for the adornment of 
park gardens. Garfield Park, Indianapolis. 











A concrete roque court is always smooth and 
playable, even after a heavy rain. 









This concrete light- 
' ing standard does 
_  double-duty as a 
street marker. 


A concrete handball court provides countless hours of pleasure for 
children and grown-ups alike. 





Concrete swimming pool at Ivyside Park, near Altoona, Pa. This pool is 185 feet wide and 625 feet 
eae and will accommodate more than 3,000 people at one time. 





Concrete lighting standards 
in Sullivan Park, San An- 
tonio. These standards are 
designed in pleasing har- 
mony with surrounding 
landscape. 


Part of the enclosing wall, Meridian 


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Park, Washington, D. C., 





A unique concrete 
walk and steps built 
to harmonize with the 
contour of the rolling 
ground. 





designed by Horace W. Peaslee. 


Permanent concrete masonry build- 
ings containing kitchen, dining 
room, bath and laundry are pro- 
vided for tourists in the camp 
ground at Wichita, Kansas. 


Below—Concrete table and oven in 
tourist park, Orange County, Tex. 











This community swimming pool at Stanleigh, Maryland, provides many hours of pleasure, away from 
the heat of a summer’s day. 










Concrete drive, 
Gordon Park, 
Cleveland. 


Concrete park 

walk lined 
gh with concrete 

Pee benches. 







Above—An ornamental pool of concrete 
finished with portland cement stucco. 







Concrete lighting 
standard, Beverly 
Hills, Calif. 







Bridge in Hampton Park, Charleston, S. C. Beauty and dignity 
are readily built into bridges with concrete. 





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Right—This concrete drive 

through Hudson Park, Harri- 

son, N. J., is separated from 

cross traffic by this graceful con- 
crete bridge. 






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Concrete swimming and 
wading pools in High- 
land Park, Dallas, Tex. 









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Concrete drinking fountain of sturdy An artistic concrete bridge in rustic Bartlesville Park, 
design and permanent construction. Washington County, Okla. 


Left—A picnic bench 
and table of unique 
design. The round 
table top and the cir- 
cular bench seat are of 
concrete, supported by 
natural rock. 





Right — “Happy,” 
the Hippopotamus, 
enjoys his bath in 
this concrete tub, 
Franklin Park, .Bos- 


ton. 











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Concrete benches and park ornaments in Florida. Concrete drive winding through City 
Palm Beach is seen on the opposite shore. Park, Everett, Wash. 


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A concrete entrance arch welcomes tourists to Camp 
Grande, El Paso, Tex. 





Campanile, The Tower of Bells, Mooseheart, Ill. 


Left—Pavilion in 
Grant Park, Atlanta, 
Ga., serves a dual pur- 
pose—band concerts 
on the upper deck, a 
rain shelter below. 





Right—A small arched foot- 

bridge of concrete in Francis 

William Park, Boston. Such 

structures have a utility value 

and enhance the beauty of 
the park as well. 





Write for 
These 
Free Booklets 
on 
Public 


[ mprovements 







Besides the booklets pictured on this page 
you can obtain those listed below. Just sele& 
the ones that interest you and write our 
nearest office. 





Concrete Sidewalks 

Concrete Pipe Sewers 

Sewage Treatment Plants 
Concrete Highway Bridges 

Facts About Concrete Roads 
Concrete Improves Your Alley 

A Sewerage System for Every Town 
Tennis Courts for All Year Sport 


PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 


A National Organization to Improve and Extend the Uses of Concrete 
DISTRICT OFFICES AT 


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Kansas City Richmond, Va. 


Concrete for Permanence 





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